Third Time's The Charm: J-Lo And Pitbull 'Dance Again'

Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull perform onstage at the 2011 American Music Awards in Los Angeles.

Kevork Djansezian
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Originally published on June 28, 2012 12:34 pm

Her day job as an American Idol judge notwithstanding, Jennifer Lopez returned to pop radio this summer with a splash. Her new single, "Dance Again," has been on the Billboard Dance/Club Play chart since April 2, reaching the top on May 26.

"Dance Again" is the third collaboration between Lopez and the rapper Pitbull. Smith says J-Lo is smart to continue that partnership, because the Miami rapper has remade himself into a huge draw for younger audiences.

"Pitbull was an OK rap artist — he had a hit here and a hit there," Smith says. "Somehow, he has reinvented himself as a sort of Latin-dance superstar. He sells out all over the place. He puts on huge, Vegas-style shows that sell out. And now he drops two or three verses on a song, and it's on its way to the top of the charts."

"Sexy and I Know It" has been all over the charts since it came out last fall. Even after all these months, it hit No. 1 on the Billboard Ringtones Chart this week.

"Even if songs fall off of a genre chart or a pop chart, they can still be really popular on the ringtone chart," Smith says, "because they will have hit a particular nerve."

Hitting a nerve is exactly what LMFAO has done, particularly with teenagers.

"These guys are all about partying," Smith says. "They wear crazy clothes, and they talk about dancing and partying all night, and if you're 14 and you haven't done any of that yet, these guys are your heroes."

Copyright 2012 National Public Radio. To see more, visit http://www.npr.org/.

Transcript

RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:

And it's time now for summer jam. We're streaming summer songs of the last 50 years at nprmusic.org. Here on MORNING EDITION, we're hearing what tunes are topping the charts. Today, two hot tracks to dance to.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANCE AGAIN")

JENNIFER LOPEZ: (Singing) I want to dance, and love, and dance...

MONTAGNE: "Dance Again" is the third collaboration between J-Lo and the rapper Pitbull. It's been on the Billboard Dance Club Chart for 10 weeks.

MONTAGNE: That's our guide to the charts, Danyel Smith, who's been and editor of Billboard and also editor-in-chief of Vibe. She says it's smart for J-Lo to pair with Pitbull because together they represent the two biggest Latin superstars in the world right now.

SMITH: Pitbull was kind of an OK rap artist. No one was rushing him into the non-existent hip-hop Hall of Fame. But somehow he has reinvented himself as sort of a Latin dance superstar. And now he drops like two or three verses on a song and it's on its way to the top of the charts.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG "DANCE AGAIN")

PITBULL: (Singing) Modern day Hugh Hef, uh, yes. Playboy to the death, uh, yes. Is he really worldwide? Uh, yes. Mami let me open your treasure chest. Play dates, we playmates, I'm the king snatching queens, checkmate. What you think? It's a rumor. I'm really out of this world. Moon, luna. Make woman comfortable. Call me bloomer. Can't even show love 'cause they'll sue ya.

MONTAGNE: Another hit playing at the clubs comes from the electro-pop duo LMFAO.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SEXY AND I KNOW IT)

LMFAO: (Singing) I'm sexy and I know it. I'm sexy and I know it.

MONTAGNE: "Sexy and I Know It" has been all over the charts since it came out last fall. And after all these months, it's just hit number one on the Billboard Ringtones Chart.

SMITH: Even when songs fall off of either a genre chart or a pop chart, it'll still be really popular on the ringtone chart because it's just struck that particular kind of nerve.

MONTAGNE: And says Danyel Smith, hit a nerve is exactly what LMFAO has done, particularly with those still too young to drive.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SEXY AND I KNOW IT")

LMFAO: (Singing) Yeah. When I'm at the mall, security just can't fight them off. And when I'm at the beach, I'm in a Speedo trying to tan my cheeks - what? This is how I roll, come on ladies, it's time to go. We headed to the bar, baby, don't be nervous, no shoes, no shirt, and I still get serviced - what?

SMITH: These guys are about partying, it's very sort of European. And they wear crazy clothes and they talk about dancing and partying all night. And if you're 14 and you haven't done any of that yet, these guys are your heroes.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SEXY AND I KNOW IT")

LMFAO: (Singing) I work out.

MONTAGNE: That's music journalist, Danyel Smith. She's our guide to the songs topping the different music charts this summer.